Eternal Rome: A Slave's life M

[Ushima]

Turan cleaved into a cultist with a mighty roar. Baebiana was still giving speeches while the battle raged around them. "Speeches are for before the battle is fought and when they're won!" There was a brief lull in the combat giving Turan a chance to take in his surroundings. Around him the soldiers were still fighting, as if a slave fighting better than them would be a blow to their honor. A call for shields came and with a mighty grunt the wall was formed. But two bullets found their way through. One grazed his right leg and the other buried itself in his left side. Turan grunted as pain ripped through his body. "So this is what those measly guns can do?" They quartorc roared and pounded his chest when the line moved forward, not slowed in the slightest.

A larger cultist pushed his way through their line and Turan turned to face him. Gripping his axe, ignoring the blood dripping from his wounds, he charged. Turan brought his axe across in a wide swipe but it was back stepped. That's when he noticed the spear that was thrust at him. Stepping to the side he grabbed the spear's shaft with his left hand. The cultist tried to pull his weapon free. But Turan pulled harder. The cultist crashed into Turan's shoulder and was hit in the gut with the tip of the axe. Using the other end of the blade he pulled out the cultist's feet sending him to his back. With his right hand he brought the blade back down on his opponent's chest several times. Blood splattered everywhere, coating Turan's armor.

Taking in the area around him he saw Emma about to be attacked by another cultist. He didn't know how he got through, he wasn't big enough to break a shield wall. But it didn't matter. Turning the spear around in his hand he threw it with all his might. The cultist went down in a crumpled heap and Turan returned to reinforcing the line as they charged. Anyone who even thought of trying to get past met swift death at the hand's of his stolen weapon. One cultist came flying out of the air, possibly thrown by a fellow cultist in a desperate attempt to get a body behind the line. Turan lined up his swing, hacking the cultist into two separate upper and lower pieces.

[Argon Jaden]

Alessia and Musine

---

Alessia heard a couple voices, though they were still muffled. She pegged one of them as Emma's and that comforted her somewhat, knowing that she was an experienced healer. She began to feel the pain in her head ease and the blood dry up on her face. Her hearing started to come back and she heard another voice-- familiar but also new. Opening her eyes, she saw Muse looking down at her, looking nearly panicked.

"Do I really look that bad?" Alessia wondered, then hearing his command to go rest.

"Then..." Alessia took a deep breath, "Then get me out of here, you idiot."

"I'm trying." Muse responded, turning back around when he heard someone approach. Somehow one of them slipped past. He made quick work of it with his blade, not looking the least bit exhausted as he cut through the intruder.

Looking past him, Turan and Lucian seemed to be holding the lines back along with several of the others and of course Baebania with her weird winged army. With a grunt, she sat up, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder. She looked at her, seeing that she was not in much better shape than her. Looking back at Muse, she continued, "We need to get out of here," she wobbled to her feet and pulled Emma up beside her as well, but she stumbled and caught herself on Muse's shoulder. She still felt really weak despite most of the pain subsiding.

Muse tucked bolt-caster to the back of his pants, grunting slightly at the sudden addition in weight. "Careful. Geeze. Don't push yourself." He warned, slipping and arm around her waist as he supported her weight. One hand kept a tight grip on his blade and he tugged Her up, almost carrying her entire mass. He grunted, showing the surprising strength of one who had to learn how to work a pirate ship on the sea.

"There's an old building over there," Alessia pointed, "Help me get to it. I don't think any of them have made it that far back," she suggested, but she watched Muse oddly. Hanging her arm around his shoulders, she was much closer to him so she noticed that his eyes were a lot brighter-- not to mention he lost his weird accent again. It still made her feel strange, but the fact that he had turned around to help her eased her concerns about him brainwashing her this whole time somewhat.

He slung her so she was more comfortably resting on his back, tugging the bolt-caster back to his hand. "Get on, and try not to fall." He said, golden eyes glittering like the treasures of a king. His voice was smooth like silk, and sweet as honey, but the command was strong and compelling.

Alessia put her arms around his neck and held onto him in a piggy back ride like a small child, keeping her head down in the curve where his neck met his shoulder. She would have been nervous if not for Muse's voice assaulting her ears in its pleasantness. She wished she could be irritated that it calmed her so much, but she couldn't.

Having found a comfortable position, he took off running, breathing haggard breaths and he swung his blade. It was obvious how hard it was for him to balance himself when he had a lot of extra weight on. Still, he breathed through his nose, rushing past in a slightly clumsy manner.

Alessia squeaked a couple of times while he rushed through the alleyway, running into more enemies. She kept her head down to avoid getting hurt even more.

"Don't fall off. Which place?" He murmured, stopping abruptly when two stepped in his path. He sidestepped the first strike, slashing upward to sever the hand that held the enemy's blade. Muse ducked, almost dancing as he countered the enemy, the battle done before one could even realize what happened.

"I won't," Alessia muttered back with a bit of a strain as she struggled to hang on, "It's-- over there," Alessia pointed for a second, "It has a door. I'll barricade it with something. There's enough junk laying around here, I'll be okay."

When they reached the building the fighting seemed a lot quieter. Slowly, Alessia got down off Muse's back and stood, though she leaned on the door behind them. It looked like an old arcade with busted up games and old toys laying on the ground.

Staring quietly at her, his eyes softened. "Are you sure? They could come for you here any time. Will you be able to keep them away?" Muse asked, voice soft and filled with worry. He kneeled in front of her, patting the top of her head.

"I'll be okay... you should probably go back now. They need you," Alessia nodded, feeling strange as she looked at him with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She felt conflicted. She was drawn to him and yet she wanted to push him away.

He nodded in response before leaning in and lightly pressing his lips against her forehead. A blessing. "Be alright. At least one of us needs to get back." He reminded gently. "Lumi's waiting for us back home. So be careful, okay?" Muse said, getting up before pressing his bolt-caster on her hands. "Keep it. You need it more than I do."

"Muse..." she started, her cheeks flushing at the forehead kiss. but then cut herself off and shook her head, "Just go..." she sighed, taking her helmet off and dropping it on the ground, then taking the bulky chest armor off, leaving her in a plain tank top that stuck to her pale flesh. She slid down to the ground, still leaning on the door. She wiped her eyes with her arm, trying to get the blood off of her face before it totally dried.

He glanced at her one last time before sighing softly. His undershirt was still a little cleaner, surprisingly. Tugging the shirt out, he clicked his tongue and began wiping her face, regardless of her protests. "I'll be back for you." He said, once he was done. Ruffling her hair, Muse gave her one last smile. "Be careful. Slaughter anyone who isn't an ally and heal and fast as you can." That was a bit underhanded, using his powers to keep her safe, to order her to keep herself safe.

"W-wait," Alessia set the bolt caster down and grabbed him by the collar, quickly giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. Her large eyes roved over his features as she pondered why she did what she just did, "Um... be careful," she let go of him and sat back against the wall again.

With a two fingers for salute, he jumped out and was gone.

[MidKnight]

When the enemy charged, when the Roman Legions charged, the forces collided and fought to the bitter end. Heretics and Legion Soldiers on the ground within seconds. Lucian stood his ground and watched the battle commence. He growled fiercely while trying to defend the others, but they seem to be more joyful in the field then behind a wall of bags filled with bags. Lucian hopped over the wall and charged at the Heretics front line with the others. He tackled one deformed soldier and ripped his arms off from his shoulders, another with a fierce bite and clawed several with his hands. He struck another into his chest and ripped out his heart and filled his mouth with it. Chomping rather loudly and swallowed the heart, he lets out a howl before taking on another.

A Heretic charged at him with a long spear, Lucian only watched as the tip passed. Nearly missing his cheek and grabbed the spear before the thrust came to a complete, breaking the weapon in half and his arm strikes forward, hitting the soldier in the chest and pushed him back. Another charged at him with a swing of his sword, Lucian strikes him down with his strong hand. Blood splattered on his face, letting out another fierce howl at his enemies. Once another Heretic charged at him, Lucian grabbed him by his throat and tossed him on the ground, then his foot met his face, stomping hard and stopped when he heard a crunch. The wolf growled at his foes and charged once more.

+++++

The sisters remained behind with the crossbows in their hands, aiming mostly for head shots as the Heretics charged again'st the Legion soldiers. They didn't run out of arrows as the others did, Once Valindra had calmed down with Nuovis at her side, shooting arrow one after another. Valindra looked around and noticed the one who had been called 'Fish boy' by Lucian was carrying Alessia to safety. Looking at her sister, she gives a slight nod to follow to see what is going on.

The two continued firing arrows at the Legions' enemies while following the others. Once they had come across a building, already seeing Muse leaving the building. Valindra looked inside to see Alessia standing there with the crossbow in her hands.

Taking a step inside with hers lowered, "Remember to take slow deep breathes before you fire off that thing, it is not like the bows we use, but it is something similar." Looking at Nuovis and nodded once more to get in, "I think the others can manage without us anyways." Turning her head slightly looking at the battle of soldiers screaming and shouting.

[dawnfire]

Dawnfire keeps fighting but injuries and time were begginning to add up. , shaking slowly getting exausted and her makeshift whip beginning to crumble she begins to falls back behind the lines, letting the soldiers take over the fighting as she tries to rest and bandage her dozens of wounds, panting, knowing she still didnt take out nearly enough, or their leader.

Exausted, she tries and fails to summon enough of her gift to give the soldiers her limited forsight. She begins to search for rope and a bit of metal for a new makeshift whip being far more comfortable with them from days training horses and knowing sooner or later the battle will be hers once again, wondering how the hell she even got down here as this bloodbath was far from what she had expected. the cultists of her world never were allowed to reached such numbers, and certainly werent so deranged as this. She closes her eyes for a moment of peace hearing the screams of battle, trying to find more energy to continue on as she catches a moment of rest

[lain]

Alessia watched Muse take off in a flash with a blank expression. She felt full of something... magic? It made her head feel foggy, but at least she felt like she wasn't bleeding any longer. She grumbled to herself, now mad that she was stuck here. Though, if she really wanted to, she could leave. She just... felt an extreme repulsion for doing so and figured it had to do with Muse and what he said to her in that strange voice of his.

With a sigh, she grabbed the bolt caster again and looked at it, thinking of how it was such a strange weapon. Her thoughts were interrupted though when the elf sisters entered. One of them even thought to give her tips on using this weapon. That, in fact, irritated Alessia. She tried to hide it, but she ended up sounding snippy in her reply, "I know how to fire it. I'm only here because I had some weird mishap with magic. Otherwise I'd still be out there helping. I can't really help if I'm bleeding from my eyes, ears, and nose," she grumbled again, leaning back on the wall of the weird abandoned arcade.

"We should barricade the door, though. Help me move some of these monstrosities, would you?" she asked, standing up and heading over to one of the large bulky game machines and beginning to shove it towards the door. It slid on the ground for a bit but then stopped when it got caught on a rug.

"Seriously?" she asked rhetorically, pinching the bridge of her nose while she felt a headache returning, "Here, all together. One, two, three!" she coordinated her push with the other two and the heavy thing was now in front of the door.

"Thanks," Alessia said before sitting on the ground again, "So, you guys have any luck out there?"